MMBK writes: On November 3rd 1957, the Soviet government launched Sputnik 2, the first spacecraft built to contain a living being, into low earth orbit. Aboard was Laika, the first being in history to voyage beyond our planet’s protective embrace. With no method of planetary reentry currently known to human science, Laika was launched into orbit on November 3rd; a doomed voyage for Earth’s first living space traveler. After roughly 7 hours of monitored suffering, Laika’s vital signs were lost.